"you sew too much"
 

I was reading in another section - and one person was bemoaning the demise of their expensive, 8 year old machine. She said the repair guy told her she had worn it out - "you sew too much" . The plastic gears just couldn't hold up.

I think I'lll stick to my old metal girls - some of the ones showing the most wear are the best sewers - they are just getting broken in - not broken!

I use to worry a bit what I would do if my main machine (1981 Viking 990) checked out on me, as it does have an electronic board. I've not found a "new" machine for under $3,000 that I would consider. Though it may be fun to get an embroidery machine, I think I'd select one of my older machines for the steady work. Then the question would be which one of the others would move to center stage!

I'll stick with my Singer 66.. She hums.. Never had a plastic geared machine.. I keep promise myself I will buy one with an electronic board, and chicken out..

I agree with this, older machines were meant to be workhorses. My husband surprised me a few years back with a top of the line embroidery/sewing machine that I personally never would have bought. But he's a "I told you when I married you I loved you, if something should change I'll let you know" type of guy. For our 20th wedding anniversary/Christmas present he popped this big honking set of boxes in my sewing room. I've had it for 4 years, it's all plastic pieces and already has some pieces broken. And I'm very careful when I use it. I would have rather gotten an classic machine. But hey, he loves me. He went to the fabric store and actually spoke to the dealer and bought a $7000 machine. "what?" I guess it's 20 years worth of Christmas/anniversary/birthday presents. His idea of celebrating is a hug and Happy .....what ever holiday.

Just about any functioning vintage machine I have will out work/out live your $7000 machine.

Definately. It's so annoying to pay so much for something that is made of plastic. Dh can't understand why I want a featherweight. "It's so old" That's why he bought me the top of the line machine.... they just don't understand. I'm not complaining that he bought me an expensive present, just complaining about the poor quality and plastic of the high end machines.

I love my 306W with a knee control. My mom sewed the daylights out of it.. and it still goes strong for me. I can clean and oil it my self , and it has never failed me.

I love my old gals. My 1980 Singer 1036 is on it's last leg and decided to hunt for a replacement. I was thrilled to find a 60's era White. How could I not like a study machine with a 1.3 amp motor with a price tag of $20?

even if you put another $100 in it for repairs you would be in great shape! Besides I bet the service call on a plastic wonder would be more than that.

My wife's first ZZ machine was a Singer 538. It's on it's third set of plastic gears and has so much wear on another gear we're going to have to replace it. She keeps avoiding buying the parts.
We've bought two Singer 413s and within a couple hours of sewing the vertical shaft top gear has shattered.

I do not, and can not trust a plastic geared machine. The Singer 4622a we have is all plastic and works well ... so far. But it's rarely used.
The Bernina 930 my wife inherited is doing well and she uses or did the heck out of it. When the plastic bits die, I'm not sure what she'll do. But it will be her it dies on cos I won't use it.

I prefer my older machines with removable or built in cams and all metal gears. I have no problems with those old ladies. They are like the EverReady Bunnie ..... they just keep on going ... going ... going ... going.

I just cannot see paying thousands of dollars for a computerized piece of plastic. To my way of thinking that's insane. No insults meant to those that have them, but that's the way I feel.

Joe

Just think about how many vintage sewing machines one could buy for $7000?

I haven't tried the newer plastic machines. Plastic has it's uses but I don't like it in my tools for the most part.
Besides, the vintage machines with all the attachments (and that I can work on myself) are too much fun for me to look seriously at the newer models. At times I think some of the fancy stitches would be nice so I might get one that takes cams. I doubt I would need more than that for my projects.
Rodney

Rodney,

We have a bunch of machines that do decorative stitches. Both with removable and built in cams. 95% of our sewing is straight stitch. About 4% is ZZ and the last 1% is decorative or stretch stitch. For the most part you just don't need decorative stitching for normal sewing.

Joe

Rodney - an old Bernina has some fun stitches; but the funnest of all are the Elna machines. Their cams are amazing. Duckies! Flowers! Sailboats! Really fantastic.

And excellent machines, to boot. :-)

What gripes me is that manufactures are pretty much assuming someone will buy the machine, and then get tired of it and stop using it after a bit, and that it's not going to be used as a real workhorse. I suppose they figure if you want to really use one, you'll get a heavy duty professional model.

I've been out of the new sewing machine market for so long- at first I didn't understand all the adds referring to "industrial" with the older machines - I know they aren't any where near the industrial machines I sewed on 30 years ago. But then now you have to buy a special "jean" machine just to get one that will handle a few layers of denim. I am so behind the times!

Cecilia,

Does the Elna have a cam that makes cats? Our machines make ducks, swans, flowers, trees, fishes, and all sorts of designs ... but no cats.

Our LSMG has a new Janome that does a cat design, but it's about $6,000 and I would never even consider that.

Joe

At $20 each you could buy 350!
What makes me mad is that the new sewing machines keep getting more and more expensive. Computers some down in price as do TV's and lots of other electronics. Sewing machines are a real racket. And I have friends that keep upgrading to the newest machines (that go up $2000 from the previous model! They were talking about a Janome that cost $12,000!)
And I come to the meetings with my $5.00 specials! And they look at me like I am crazy!

Colleen

I was thinking about hunting for an older machine that uses cams. I have 2 Pfaffs that I love but neither have a lot of stitches but they are work horses, don't care what it is, they sew it. I bought one of the plastics for some decorative stitches and overcast stitch. It can't maintain the decorative stitches on thick things (like quilts). If I find one that takes cams, are the cams hard to get? Do you think a Kenmore is as good as a Singer?

my situation is the other way around. my wife complains a lot on why i need so many old singer sewing machines. i told her this is the real deal. i used my mom's old singer sewing machine when i started sewing and love it. i can sew anything with it. upholstery, denim, anything and it keeps on running. i have not asked my Mom if she still has it. she used to sew wedding gowns and any woman dresses before she had an operation. i bought my wife a husqvarna freesia and that's what she's using. she love it better than my machines. good for me as i can baby them all.

ragquilter,

Many of the older Singers in the 400, 500, 600 and up series use cams. If you do some checking and stay to the machines with metal innards, there are lots of them, you'll be good to go. The cams are not hard to come by. GW and eBay have them quite often.

Are Kenmores as good as Singers? Yes. Especially the late 60s to late 70s machines. While Singer was going to plastic junque the Kenmores were still all steel. My Kenmore 158-15570 sews better patterns with it's cams than many of the Singers do. It's all metal except for the cams and sews quiet and smooth.

Joe

yes - I'm not anywhere near it yet...

If I had a choice it would be a Singer 403 or 503. Then get a clone just for fun.

I love my 15-91 but would love one that does decorating stitches!!

I have one plastic wonder, a Husqvarna Sapphire 875. I like it when its working right, but it can be very fussy. I sew most of my quilt tops with one of my 5 treadle machines. They aren't fussy, unless I thread them wrong or let the hand wheel go the wrong way. :shock: Two of my favorites are almost 100 years old and still sewing great.
Sharon

A friend's hubby is in computers and has told her that the new computerized sewing machines are extremely overpriced and is just so surprised how people don't hesitate to pay the prices!

I do have a machine that can do embroidery and one that can make ducks, stars and dogs along with other fancy stitches. But for straight stitching all my old girls do a much better job. And my 401 has built in cams and all but one of the other extra cams that can go with it. Even the other machines have an attachment to do zigzag and other fancy stitches. I wouldn't dare touch to first two to try to repair them, the 401 looks complicated to me inside , the older machines much less so, so few moving parts, down to the Minnesota that surprised me with the simplicity of it's moving parts - it looks like a couple rods and a shaft.

[QUOTE=J Miller;6427578]ragquilter,
I agree with Joe on this. My favorite vintage machine is an all steel Kenmore 1560 with a free arm. This hems jeans like they were quilting cotton.

I am trying to sell a Kenmore 158.1651 on CL right now. It is clean and serviced, has a new hook and a set of cams. I paid $30 for just the machine ("Works".... but did not sew), and have $50 into it, not to mention time. I have priced it at $50 and I doubt I will sell it. Most likely I'll have to give it away. NO market for old machines around here. Those who list them for hundreds are out of touch.

Are Kenmores as good as Singers? Yes. Especially the late 60s to late 70s machines. While Singer was going to plastic junque the Kenmores were still all steel. My Kenmore 158-15570 sews better patterns with it's cams than many of the Singers do. It's all metal except for the cams and sews quiet and smooth.

What does he know about sewing machines??? I wouldn't put much stock in his "opinion".

It's a wonderful thing to wear out a sewing machine. It means that your family is likely wearing decent clothing, and your upholstery is looking good, your family is warm and cozy under assorted quilts, and the mending is done. I've worn out several machines and my husband has never complained about the cost of a new one because of all the good things that come out from under the foot of the machine.

Of course, people are free to spend their money on whatever they want, but you don't have to know much about sewing machines to have an opinion that $8000-$12000 is a lot of money for a sewing machine, though they obviously aren't overpriced if folks are buying them.

I guess that's why they call it "disposable income", because we buy "disposable merchandise" with it.


The thing is, I do not believe in this. Perhaps it was the fact that I wasn't raised in a family with lots of money to spend. I saved, worked, wanted, dreamed and eventually got what I wanted. THEN I had to make it last cos replacing it in a few years cos it was junk was out of the question.

My mother used the same sewing machine for so long it's unbelievable by todays standards. She finally quit using it some 20 years ago not because the machine was worn out, but because she updated to a 70s vintage Kenmore ZZ machine.
I'm still using her original machine, and I know where the Kenmore is.

I find the idea of spending thousands of dollars on a fragile, hard to service, costly to repair machine simply outrageous. Especially when as Miriam said, any one of my vintage machines will out live any of the multi thousand dollar machines. All they need is a bit of cleaing and oil which anyone with an ounce of ability can do themselves.

Maybe that's why I consider myself an anachonism.

Joe

[QUOTE=Wintersewer;6429628]Who made the Kenmores back then? The ones I have are made by Janome. Weren't they made by White for a while?

deplaylady,

The prefixs such as 158 is the code for the manufacturer. I know that Kenmore machines with that prefix were made by Maruzen / Jaguar. The 117 prefix machines were made by White. The others I don't know. I'm sure Janome did make some.

There is probably a list of Sears manufacturers, but I don't know where it is.

Joe

I enjoy my Featherweight, but also love my Janome MemoryCraft 9000. Once when having it serviced the guy showed me two machine chassis he had - one solid metal, the other all damaged plastic. He pointed to the metal frame and said, "That's what's inside your machine. It's built to last." We got it in the late 90's, and dh helped me pick it out. Actually, he bought it with money he inherited from his mom, as he wanted me to have a good machine. At the time we watched TV in the same livingroom where I sew. He liked the quiet hum of the Jamome, so he could still hear the TV, and we enjoy being together. It has embroidery cams which I don't use much, but it runs like a charm. My old machine was way noisy and often got temperamental. I don't scorn people who have a different machine, nor do I expect anyone else to think I'm stupid for making the choide I did. We all make the best choices we can.

The machines with the 385 prefix were the Janome machines.

You sew too much
 

Joe,

I have to agree with you. My main machine (the "go-to") is my Singer 328K. It's a little more than 50 years old. I've had it since it was new. It is not a complicated machine, and I've had the tensions, bobbin assembly all apart and put back together. It's never had a serious problem (It's all metal, with removable cams). This machine has been used for clothing, drapes, curtains of all kinds, upholstery fabric (I completely recovered a small sofa, making new covers for all the pillows, etc.), and I've made a few quilts on it. Fortunately, my son is around, so if I get in "over my head" trying to repair, he can bail me out! LOL! I love by 328K! The fact is I couldn't afford to pay that kind of money for a sewing machine myself, but I won't criticize someone who can--after all, they're the ones paying for it!

Jeanette

Well said Lynn
I too love my Featherweight and 301A and have really enjoyed learning how to use my Singer 27 treadle but I also love, love love my Viking #1 I bought after a house fire ruined my White Jeans machine back in 1995.
I consider the $1800 for the Viking well spent because I have used it as a clothing machine and now as my main quilting machine with very little problems. Ironically the main things that have happened have come from just years of use...a tension spring that gave up the ghost and the bobbin case fell apart. Each easily fixed and any machine no matter how old will have those kinds of things happen after years of use.